Gorgeous
by Rex Madison
Summary: When the '99 tournament rolls around, Team Gorgeous needs a new fourth member. Who better to ask than SNK's original heroine? Will they become a dream team, or will things go...awry...? (Rated PG-13.)
1. Chapter 1

Notes

Hey, everybody! Turns out I'm not dead! :D I don't know if I'm making a comeback yet, but I _do_ feel more like posting stuff lately. We'll see how it goes when I try writing a brand-new story. In the meantime, here's a very very _old_ story...but I'm just now finishing and posting it, so it'll be new to you! :)

This story is set back in 1999, several months before that year's King of Fighters tourney. If you recall, that was the first one with the Striker format, along with 4-person teams. This is also still early in the series timeline, meaning that for once these people will be _acting their age_. This mostly affects Athena, an 18-year-old that's just out of high school and still trying to make it as an idol. The others are pretty much the same: young women with proven skills and a chip on their shoulder. ...the chip may've been a little bigger back then, though. ;)

I'm posting all three chapters at once, btw, so no more notes till we're at the end of the show.

Hope you enjoy! (Hee, it's been so long since I've used that tag ^_^)

* * *

Gorgeous

"Ah...Ms. Asamiya?"

She was sitting in her hotel room, going through paperwork of some sort. She'd asked for some time alone so she could concentrate, but after an hour and a half she didn't mind the disturbance.

"Please, Jeff - it's Athena. _Athena_ ," she said, looking towards the door and smiling. She was still getting used to the personal assistant the studio had sent over, and apparently he was still getting used to her as well. "What's up?"

"The front desk sent up a phone call..."

Her gentle smile turned into an irritated smirk. "Didn't I say I didn't want any calls right now...?" she asked, sounding more annoyed than she actually felt.

"I know, Ms - Athena. But she said it was urgent, and she said you'd know what it was about."

"Oh? Well who was it?"

"Erhm...she said her name was 'King.'"

She blinked. "King...?"

* * *

"She's got me on hold," she chuckled, her hand over the receiver.

She, meanwhile, was standing behind the counter of a bar in Southtown, not so many miles away from her target. The pop star was on the last legs of her first American tour, and the bartender knew this would be the best time to contact her. The hour was early, so the rest of the bar was almost empty...but not quite.

"What do you mean, 'on hold'?" said Mai Shiranui, sitting on a bar stool on the other side of the counter.

"What, does she have operators now?" said Yuri Sakazaki, one stool over.

"Well, not exactly," the first woman replied with a smirk. "He called himself a 'personal assistant'."

"Oh, for crying out loud," Mai exclaimed, holding her temple as Yuri laughed outright. "Are you two _sure_ about this...?"

"Oh, come on, Mai. She's not as stuck up as all that," Yuri assured her. "I got to know her a couple years ago, before our match. She's all right. Really."

"And she's definitely strong enough," their companion put in. "Remember, she took out Ryo that year. By herself."

"Not that she lasted much longer..." added a smirking Yuri, who had succeeded where her brother had failed. (...okay, maybe he had worn her down, but still.) "But anyway, who else is there? Now that Chizuru's - "

"Shh," the first woman said suddenly. Then, "Athena, is that you?"

* * *

"It sure is, King!" said Athena Asamiya, her face lighting up in recognition. "It's been so long! How've you been?"

"Not too bad," said the woman known only as King, on the other end of the phone line. "Not as good as you, though..."

"Heard about the big tour, huh?" Athena giggled. "The last six months have just been totally bizarro..."

King chuckled a little. "Still behind on your English lingo, I see."

"Hey, don't be that way," Athena pouted, in her best "hurt" tone. "At least I actually _know_ another language. Nihongo o hanasemasu ka?"

"Parlez-vous Français?"

"Nǐ huì shuō zhōngwén ma⁇"

"...okay, okay, I give," King yielded, thoroughly trumped. The two shared a good bout of laughter then, though admittedly Athena was the louder among them.

"So, anyway," said King, after a moment. "About this call..."

"Yes, I was wondering, actually," said Athena. "You told Jeff I would know what it's about, but I don't. What's going on?"

"Well...you've gotten your invitation for this year's King of Fighters, right?"

"Mm-hmm," said Athena, nodding. "I'm pretty sure I'm going to enter as usual. It'll be hard to fit into my schedule...but I really should make an appearance. It's what got me started, y'know?"

"Of course," King smoothly replied.

"And after all the trouble with the Orochi, it kind of seems like my duty, too," the talkative young woman went on. "I mean...I'm a Psycho Soldier, right?"

"...right," King replied, a bit less smoothly. Athena thought she might have heard a chuckle in there, but she couldn't be sure. "At any rate, I've been talking with some of the girls about this year's team. It turns out Yuri's back out of the Kyokugen group."

"Really?" said Athena, her eyes widening a bit. A small flash of irritation went through her at the mention of Yuri's name, but she fought it off; she was still her friend, after all.

"That's right," King replied. "Looks like the original Team Gorgeous is making a comeback this year."

"That's great!" Athena beamed, happy not so much for the news as for the women themselves.

"But...there's just one little problem," King went on.

"Hmm? What's that?"

"You might remember that the tournament's changing formats this year," said King. "Each team is supposed to have four members. The three of us are ready to sign, but we're still looking for a fourth." She paused. "And...we were sort of hoping you could be that fourth."

Athena blinked. "...what?"

"We want you to be the fourth member of Team Gorgeous."

* * *

Silence only greeted her for quite some time.

"Ooh...dramatic," Mai eventually remarked.

"Well? What's she saying⁇" asked Yuri.

"Nothing yet," King whispered sharply, her hand back over the receiver.

"Is she _that_ surprised?"

" _I'm_ surprised she hadn't figured it out already," Mai snickered.

"Yeah, well - " Then King cut herself off, as Athena's voice finally came back through the receiver.

"...me?" she was saying. "You want _me_ to be a part of the Women's Team?"

"You got it," said King. "So...what do you think?"

"Oh, King, I...I'm flattered, really - but I don't think I can," said Athena, her voice full of remorse. "I always sign on with Kensou and Master Chin, you know?"

"Yeah. But I've heard Sie's been having problems of his own lately," King coolly shot back. "Something about him losing his psychic powers...?"

"...now how in the world did you hear about that?"

"I have my sources," said King, throwing a wink over to Mai. She didn't know how exactly Mai had gotten the intel, and right now she didn't much care. "But even if Sie turns out okay, what are you going to do about a fourth member?"

"Actually, Master Chin's taken on another student," Athena informed her. "He may be a little young, but - "

"How young?"

"Uhm...11, I think - "

"Bao's _11_ ⁇" King exclaimed without thinking. That got her another wide-eyed look from Yuri, another fit of laughter from Mai...and another awkward silence from Athena.

"...so. Heard about him, too, huh?" she finally said in clipped tones. Clearly Mai's laughter had carried over the receiver.

"Listen, Athena...I know you're loyal to your team. And I respect that," King told her. "But how far do you think the Psycho Soldiers are going to get this year with an 11-year-old, a psychic without powers and an old - " She stopped herself. "...er...no offense, Athena, but Chin _is_ getting on in years..."

"...yeah, I know," Athena sighed, to King's relief. "But the Master thinks we should compete anyway. He says it'll be a good test for Bao, and the excitement might help bring back Kensou's powers."

King raised her eyebrow, not that Athena could see it. "Do you really think that's safe...?"

"...well...not _entirely_..."

"So let 'em rest," King urged. "If you sign on with us, you can keep them from getting in over their heads and still do your duty as a Psycho Soldier."

"'Do her duty'...?" Mai asked, smirking.

"Shut _up_ ," King hissed with a glare.

Athena had paused again, but this time it turned out to be a good thing. "...well...I du _nno_..." she soon said, in that particular tone of voice that basically means "yes."

"Ah, come on, Athena," King wheedled. "Wouldn't it be fun to get away from the guys for a while? We're all _about_ fun here at Team Gorgeous."

"I'm about to have fun with Yuri right now!" Mai called out, grinning.

"...Mai, what're you talking - "

Mai then snatched the tie from Yuri's braid and started taking it out. Yuri cried out in protest, and soon the two were wrestling over it; King smiled to herself as she heard her target giggling.

"Tell you what, Athena," King went on. "Why don't the four of us meet at the bar for dinner tonight, hmm? It'll be my treat. We can catch up with each other, reminisce about old times...and, maybe, if you're having fun, talk some more about signing up. How 'bout it?"

"...maaaybe," said Athena, sounding a bit playful herself. "I'll have to check my schedule, of course - "

"Oh, for crying out... _screw_ the schedule," King said firmly. "You deserve a girl's night out, and you know it. Now what do you say?"

She could almost hear her resolve crumbling away.

"...okay, I'll do it," Athena happily agreed. King smiled and gave another thumbs-up to Mai and Yuri, who, remembering why they were there, stopped their struggles and cheered. "You said tonight, right? How about 7?"

"You got it," said King. She gave her the address to the bar, along with some vague directions on how to get there from her hotel. "And try not to show up in a limo, okay? It'll hurt my image."

"Ha ha ha," Athena said sarcastically in response.

"Oh - and the dress code's casual. _Casual_ , Athena."

"I get it already," Athena giggled. "See you then!"

"See you," said King, as she hung up the phone. She then breathed a satisfied sigh, turned back to her companions, and grinned. "All right, ladies...time to turn on the charm. We've got an evening to plan..."

"Athena won't know what hit her‼" Yuri cried, raising her fist into the air.

"You _bet_ she won't..." Mai mumbled, smirking to herself.

* * *

Athena hung up the phone a few seconds later, her own grin at least as wide as King's. The call had been an unexpected and very pleasant surprise. Ever since her tour had started, she hadn't taken much time off for fun, or anything else for that matter. She was looking forward to a nice, friendly night out with the girls, even if she was going to have to disappoint them in the end.

...wasn't she?

King had a point, after all. This probably wasn't the best year for the rest of her team to compete. Kensou was mentally crippled; Bao was physically untrained. Granted, the Master's age hadn't slowed him down one bit - but the way he'd been hitting the bottle lately, that might not be true come fight night.

But could she really abandon the Psycho Soldiers, even for Team Gorgeous?

She'd just have to wait and see.

"Jeff?" she said loudly, calling him back into the room. "I don't have anything too important going on tonight, do I?"

"Ah...actually, there is that meeting with - "

"Cancel it," she told him, smiling. "I've got a date..."


	2. Chapter 2

By the appointed hour, the Illusion was filling up nicely. Most of the eating crowd had finished settling in, and the first of the drinkers had just taken their usual seats at the bar. It was still quiet so far, but occasional bursts of noise were starting to filter their way through. Just the kind of environment they were looking for, King mused.

Normally she would be behind the counter right now, serving drinks and taking orders with the rest of her employees. But of course tonight was different. She had retreated to the back rooms a while ago to freshen up; now she sat alone at a rounded booth by the building's back corner, her own back to the wall and her eyes staring impatiently at the entrance.

The first to arrive was Yuri, five minutes after the hour. She and Mai had gone home to get ready once they'd finished planning the evening, and apparently they'd decided to come back in separate cars. This bothered King, for some reason she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Welcome back," she greeted, nodding and extending her hand. "You're looking well."

"Thanks," said Yuri, smiling as she took the seat to King's left. She had taken the dress code quite seriously, wearing a plain purple t-shirt untucked over a pair of white jeans. Her light brown hair was still in its two-foot-long braid, though. "Guess I'm the first one here, huh?"

"Looks like," said King. "Any idea where Mai is?"

"...she's right there," said Yuri, suddenly staring past her.

King blinked, then turned to find Mai coming towards them from a direction that was decidedly not the entrance. She wore black heels, a red miniskirt, and an unbuttoned maroon sweater over a white tube top; clearly she had taken the dress code a bit less seriously than Yuri. Her dark brown hair was up in her usual ponytail, her bangs framing a bright and oddly mischievous smile.

"I thought you said I was the first one here," Yuri pointed out, smirking.

"As far as I knew, you were," King replied, frowning. "When did you get here, Mai?"

"Not too long ago," Mai assured her, sitting down on her right. "I just had to stop at the restroom first. You must've missed me." Then she smirked. "So...is this what you call 'casual', King?"

The kickboxer had stuck with her work outfit, a plum vest and dark purple slacks over a long-sleeved white buttondown. It had seemed casual enough for her at the time.

"Look who's talking," King pointed out, brushing back a stray strand of her short, blonde locks. "I'm surprised I couldn't tell you were here from the catcalls."

"Droll, King. Positively droll," Mai deadpanned, as Yuri proved her right by giggling. "Let's just go over the plan again, okay?"

It was a simple plan, really. The three would treat Athena as one of their own, welcoming her with open arms. They'd picked out a drink for the night, one she could enjoy even without the booze; they would let her pick the appetizer herself (Yuri was under strict orders not to complain under any circumstances). They'd wine-and-dine her for a while, regaling her with tales from tournaments past and dishing the dirt on the other competitors. Once they were through, Mai would suggest they move on to a dance club, and Yuri would counter with a karaoke bar. They were hoping Athena would warm up to them enough to choose one, or even suggest something herself.

"There's just one question, Mai," said King, crossing her arms. "Would you _really_ want go to a club in those heels?"

"Says the woman who's never worn heels in her life," Mai snickered. "I've got some flats out in the car, though, if I need them. I'll tell her so, if she asks."

"I think the _real_ question is, where is she?" Yuri interrupted.

"Good point," said King, frowning and looking around. "You'd think with how polite she is, she'd want to be on time."

"Maybe she's decided to stand us up," said Mai, putting on a tragic pose.

King snorted. "Doubtful. That'd be _really_ impolite."

"Did she give you a cell phone number?" asked Yuri.

"Nope," King sighed. "We'll just have to wait and see..."

A few minutes later, they got their answer.

All three of them happened to be staring at the entrance when Athena finally walked in. The first thing that surprised them was her hair, which, while still unnaturally purple, had changed from a waist-long mane to a shoulder-length bobcut. Then they noticed her clothing, and that surprised them even more. Her shoes were plain white sneakers; her pants were hip-hugging blue jeans. And her top was a simple, bright red t-shirt, sporting a Hello Kitty decal on the chest.

Whatever they had been expecting, this was not it.

"You see that, Mai?" said King in approval. "Keds and jeans can work just as well as skirts and pumps."

"Damn. Even in a _normal_ outfit, she's cute," Yuri groaned. "Some girls have all the luck..."

"Don't worry, Yuri. You're cute in other ways!"

"Gee, _thanks_ , Mai. Think you'll be cute with a _bruise_?"

By that time, Athena had finished speaking with the doorman, who was now escorting her over. She met them at the booth with a warm, sheepish smile and a trio of friendly embraces. This, of course, they had expected.

"I'm _so_ sorry I'm late, girls," she told them, looking at each of them in turn as she sat down next to Yuri. "I wound up taking a cab, and the driver got lost on the way..."

"Don't worry about it. Mai and I were late, too," Yuri reassured her. "...of course, King wasn't, but she owns the place."

"Just one of the perks," King said dryly.

Then Mai grinned. "So what's with the new hair, Athena? ...new _boyfriend_ , maybe?"

"No, no, nothing like that," Athena chuckled. "I just lost a bet, that's all."

"A bet...?"

She nodded. "Well, you remember Bao, right? When I told him and the others about this tour, I said I didn't think it was going to go well, and _he_ said I'd sell out every gate before it even started. We ended up betting on it, and he said that if I lost, I'd have to get my hair cut _right_ before my first concert."

"Ouch," said King, wincing in sympathy.

"But that was a long time ago, Athena," Mai pointed out. "Why's your hair still short now?"

"Well, a lot of my fans liked it, and the tour staff did too. And I don't _hate_ it, so I decided I'd stick with it for a while."

"It _is_ a good look for you," Yuri complimented.

"Hehe. Thanks, Yuri," Athena replied, blushing a bit.

"So what would you have gotten if you'd won the bet?" King asked.

Athena smirked. "Bao would've let me design his costume for his first tournament."

Mai chuckled as Yuri barked a laugh. King, however, just stared at her. "He'd let you _pick out his clothes_? Why was getting you a haircut worth risking that⁇"

Athena looked off to the side. "...Bao _likes_ short-haired girls," she said, shifting uncomfortably.

That got all three of them laughing, turning Athena's blush to deep crimson. "Ahh, so _that's_ your new boyfriend!" said Yuri, elbowing her in the ribs.

"Stop that!" Athena snapped, slapping at her hand (but grinning).

At that point their waiter arrived, giving them a friendly nod. He started by asking for their drink orders; King answered first, telling him they'd probably all have the same thing. Then she turned to their guest. "Athena, have you ever heard of a Bloody Mary?"

"...I don't suppose you mean the historical figure..."

"It's a _drink_ , you big geek," Yuri teased. "Tomato juice, but in a _good_ way. You're gonna love it."

Athena frowned. "Does it have alcohol in it?"

"Not for _you_ , it doesn't," King said firmly. "I'm not interested in losing my liquor license tonight."

"It'll still have plenty of kick, though," Mai assured her.

"Well...I du _nno_..."

"Aw, c'mon, Athena. Have some drinks with us!" Yuri egged on. "Ma- _ry_...Ma- _ry_..."

Immediately King and Mai picked up the chant, and Athena's face turned crimson again. She didn't like being pressured, and was about to tell them so...but then she noticed other patrons already staring at them, and for her that ruled out the option entirely.

"Alright, alright! I'll do it!" she agreed, smiling but motioning for them to quiet down. Of course all three of them cheered instead, which was _also_ embarrassing - but not as much as a fight would've been.

"Atta girl!" Yuri praised, patting her on the back. "We can make a new name of it, even. They'll call us the Bloody Sisters!"

Athena giggled; King snickered. Mai just looked at Yuri and smirked. "...did you just tell Athena that if we added her to Team Gorgeous, they wouldn't call us that anymore?"

King and Athena laughed outright as Yuri went white as a sheet. "N-no! That's not what I meant!" she stammered, waving her hands at Athena frantically. "You're gorgeous too! Really‼"

"Oh, stop," Athena murmured, blushing once more.

As Rick promised to be back soon and hurried off, the four settled down a bit, letting Athena pick out the table snack. Yuri recommended the buffalo wings with ranch; Mai hadn't developed a taste for those (yet), so she pushed for beef skewers instead. King helpfully told her that _everything_ was good, if she did say so herself. But Athena still managed to disappoint all of them by picking the spinach and artichoke dip, too green for Mai and Yuri and fattier than King liked (or Athena realized).

Rick returned a short moment later, carrying their drinks on a large platter. "Here you go, ladies...four Bloody Marys," he announced, placing one in front of each of them.

"You remembered to make one virgin, right?" King asked.

"For our little _virgin_ over here?" Mai added, reaching over and tousling Athena's hair. Athena frowned, but didn't dignify her with a response. ...yet.

"Yes, ma'am," Rick answered, nodding and tapping Athena's glass. "So! Are we ready for snacks...?"

He took their order for chips and dip, then scurried away again. King and Mai picked up their glasses - but Yuri stopped them. "Hold on, girls. I think this calls for a toast, don't you?"

"Sounds good," said King. "Care to do the honors, Athena?"

Athena nodded, thought for a moment, and raised her glass.

"To Friendship!" she declared.

"To friendship," the others chorused (barely holding back their snickers). The four tapped their glasses, pulled them back, and drank. Each of them had a different reaction: Mai smiled, Yuri grinned, King raised her eyebrows...and Athena sucked in a deep breath and started coughing.

"...whoo! Strong‼" Yuri approved.

"You said it," said King, staring at her glass in wonder.

"You okay, Athena?" Mai asked as Athena's coughs died down.

"...yeah, I'm fine," she gasped. "...quite a _kick_ , though, isn't it?"

"That's Elizabeth for you. You'll get used to it," Mai reassured her, patting her hand.

King started to say something else then - but Athena spoke first. "Hey, uh, Mai? Could you, er, keep it down about the 'virgin' thing? It's...kind of embarrassing."

"Oh, I was just kidding, girl!" Mai laughed. "I'm sure you've got _plenty_ of stories."

Athena blanched. "...uhm..."

The other three immediately snapped to attention.

"You're still a virgin⁇"

"But you're a _musician_!"

"You could get anyone you wanted!"

"So what's the story? Can't handle the pressure?"

"Can't get any privacy?"

"Can't close the deal...?"

"Stop it, you three!" Athena exclaimed, looking around nervously. "I just...I'm waiting for the _right guy_ , you know?"

"Ohhh, I know who _that_ is," Yuri giggled.

"Maybe it starts with a _K_...?" Mai oozed.

Athena blushed furiously. "...maaaybe..."

" _Ha!_ I knew it!" said Yuri, grinning. "You're in love with _Kensou_ , huh!?"

"Ugh, _no_!" Athena cried, scowling as the other three laughed.

"We know, we know," King assured her. "So. Who _have_ you had your eye on?"

Athena smiled. "Well..."

* * *

"He didn't."

"He did. Tha'sh _exactly_ whatte did."

Two hours had passed since the women met at the booth. Both the appetizer and dinner were gone and forgotten, leaving the four with nothing for company but their drinks - and a _lot_ of empty glasses. By now King and Mai were starting to feel a nice buzz; Yuri, meanwhile, was well on her way to drunk.

And strangely, Athena seemed to be as well.

"'You'll get hurt, stop now'? He really said that...when they beat you⁇" Athena exclaimed, as Yuri sadly (and somewhat unsteadily) nodded. "But I thought...I thought you two were _dating_...!"

"Yep. Shtill are," Yuri added, taking another gulp of her drink. "He'sh better now thanne wash back then...but ol' Robby 'n shtill be an assh shometimesh."

"Ohhh, I _hate_ it when guys do that," Athena huffed. "Like us weak little girls should, should sit back and let the _big, strong men_ do all the...do all the fighting. As _if_...!"

King couldn't help but smile at that one.

The night was going quite well. The four were meshing better than they had any right to be; Yuri, in particular, had developed quite a bond with their potential partner. At this rate, they'd be skipping the karaoke and heading straight for the sign-up committee.

The only wrinkle so far was Athena's behavior. Every drink she'd had was virgin, King had made sure of that...yet she was acting sleepier and goofier than any of them. _Even though ours are REALLY strong,_ she thought again, wondering about that too. She'd only kept her head by going light on them; she had no idea how Mai was doing it.

"Andy was the same way," said the woman in question, shaking her head. "When I first followed him back to Southtown, all he said for months was 'Go home, Mai'. The nerve!"

Yuri's lips dragged up into an exaggerated smirk. "Uh...Mai? I think that mighta been 'cush he'sh _not intereshted_."

"Oh, here we go with this again. Of _course_ he's interested, Yuri! He's just...scared," Mai insisted.

"Oh, brother," muttered Yuri, rolling her eyes. "Maybe 'cush he thinksh you're, I dunno, _shtalking him_?"

"Hmph. Stalking. I've done no such thing," Mai sniffed. Then she smiled coyly. "You'll see, Yuri. He'll come around. Shiranui Mai _always_ gets what she wants."

Yuri leaned aside to Athena and mock-whispered to her. "Thish'sh Mai _not_ bein' a shtalker, shee."

As Athena went down in a fit of giggles, Mai shook her head again and sighed. "I swear, Athena...you don't know how lucky you are."

"Wha...what do you mean...?"

"What do you think I mean? You've got a great guy right next to you, and he'd marry you in a heartbeat."

"...you're talking about Kensou, aren't you?" said Athena, still giggling. "Sorry, Mai, but the two of us are pla... _pla-ton-ic_. Nothing more."

"Well, yeah, right _now_. But you can't tell me you've never considered it."

Athena shook her head slowly. "I just...I just don't like him that way."

"That's not the _it_ I was asking about," said Mai with a lewd grin.

The blush returned.

"Well...I guess...I've _thought_ about it," she admitted, to King and Yuri's shock. "I mean, Sie _is_ kinda cute. ...in a dorky sort of way."

"Oh, I don't know about _that_ ," Mai purred. "He seems pretty seriously cute to me. The handsome face...the broad shoulders...that tight little ass..." She paused for a second. "Pretty limber, too, isn't he...?"

Her cheeks cherry red, Athena averted her eyes but said nothing.

"But what's _really_ sexy is how devoted he is to you," Mai gushed, getting into it now. "He would do anything for you, Athena. _Anything._ If you went out on a date, he'd go anywhere you wanted, buy you anything you asked for. If you kissed him goodnight, he'd just kiss you right back, instead of...grabbing your head, and sticking his tongue down your throat..."

The fact that Athena wasn't stopping her spoke volumes about how far gone she was. Yuri seemed pretty gone too, staring at Mai with rapt attention...but King was still there. She felt certain now that Athena was loaded - and she had a hunch why.

"If you invited him in...started fooling around...his hands would be gentle but firm, and they'd hit _all_ the right places." Mai paused again, her grin downright evil now. "And if you made it to the bedroom? Well, Athena, I don't think there's anything he _wouldn't_ do for you...

"...or _to_ you..."

Athena looked down, her eyes lidded, and started chuckling deeply. Yuri looked at Athena, her eyes wide with shock. King looked at her too for a second...and then she looked back at Mai, her own eyes narrow and dark.

" _Fascinating,_ Mai," she muttered, the words dripping acid. "May I see you in the restroom, please⁇"

She stood up and grabbed Mai's hand without waiting for a reply. Practically dragging her with her, she stormed off for the facilities, leaving two very confused potential partners in her wake.


	3. Chapter 3

A moment later, King threw open the restroom door and marched inside. She made sure no one was in any of the stalls; then she turned back towards Mai with a disgusted scowl.

"You look upset, King," said Mai, the picture of innocence. "Is something the matter...?"

"What the hell did you _do_."

"Oh, relax, Kingy!" she laughed. "I was just trying to get her to loosen up. Maybe start _looking_ for the right guy?"

" _Please_ tell me all you did was spike the tomato juice."

Mai turned her head and sniffed. "I don't know _what_ you're talking about."

" **Mai.** "

She kept up the facade for a moment...then fell into a smirk. "Well," she said frankly, "she _did_ loosen up, didn't she...?"

* * *

Back at the booth, silence reigned for several moments. Yuri and Athena both looked away from each other, Yuri wondering about King and Mai while Athena wondered about herself. Finally, Athena looked back to Yuri and said timidly, "Hey, Yuri...you don't think Mai would ever...make a play for him, do you...?"

Yuri blinked, looked back towards her. "Who, Kenshou? Naah...don'orry, Ashena. She'sh too obshesshed with Andy for that."

"Oh, I'm not worried. I'm just...curious, is all."

"Right." Yuri smirked for a bit, then looked down with a sigh. "You know...I've alwaysh envied her."

"What do you mean?"

"She'sh right, Athena: she'll gettim. She'll get Andy one of these daysh. She could get 'ny guy she wanted...and shome of the girlsh, too," she added, her cheeks reddening half a shade at the words. "And it'sh not all the big boobsh and the shkimpy outfitsh. She'sh got a, I dunno...kinda a _glow_ about her, y'know...?"

Athena nodded. "Her energy is pretty exill...ex-hil-a-rat-ing."

"Right, exshactly," said Yuri, smiling. "And I...I shure wish I had shomething like that."

"I wouldn't mind it myself," Athena agreed.

Yuri nodded somberly...then winced. "...you're not gonna teller I shaid thish, are you?"

Athena smirked. "What, and give her...something else to tease us about? ...no _thank_ you."

"Good," Yuri giggled. Then, her smile wide, she reached over and squeezed Athena's left hand with her right. "Yer a really good friend, Ashena. I'm glad that match of oursh didn't come between ush."

"Me, too," said Athena warmly, though another flash of irritation came and went as she spoke.

The two continued smiling at each other for several seconds. Then Yuri's eyes dimmed, and she looked off to the side. Her brow furrowing, Athena cocked her head and asked what was wrong. Yuri didn't respond at first; then she started to speak, stopped, and started again, still holding onto Athena's hand.

"In fact...I've always kind of envied you, too."

* * *

"Never mind," King growled, "that you broke into my stocks. Never mind that if anyone finds out Rick served a minor, he'll be wearing solid orange for the next year of his life. But did it ever occur to you that Athena might not have _wanted_ to get drunk? Or that Yuri and I might not've wanted to get _hammered_ ⁇"

"Why wouldn't she?" Mai asked honestly. "Why wouldn't _you_? Seriously. What's the harm."

"What if she gets sick?" King snapped. "What if she passes out? What if she gets behind the wheel somehow and _kills_ somebody⁇"

"Oh, now you're just being silly. How is _she_ gonna drive? She probably doesn't even have a license!"

"And you think that makes me feel _better_!?"

"Geez, would you relax?" Mai said again, her hands on her hips. "She's with friends. She's in _your_ bar. The two of _us_ are still lucid. How much trouble can she get into?"

King's head turned towards their booth, not that she could actually see it. "I've got a bad feeling we're going to find out..."

* * *

"M, m...me⁇" Athena stammered. "Why in the world would you envy me?"

Yuri averted her eyes, gave a shy chuckle. "Well, you know...you're this huge pop goddess and all..." she tried feebly.

Athena didn't buy it. "You've never wanted to be an idol in your life, Yuri. Now come on. You had something to say, so say it."

"...okay, okay." She took another swig of her drink with her free hand and sighed before she went on. "...the thing Mai has is one thing, right? That's just sex. That's what she does. I couldn't compete with her on that if I tried. But you, Athena...you've got something else going for you." She looked away again, blushing, clearly having to fight for the words even through the drunken haze.

"...you're cute."

In a flash, her companion was blushing as well.

"You think I'm cute...?"

"Yeah, I do," said Yuri, smiling a bit. "Hey - it's what you're going for, right...?"

"...well, yeah," admitted Athena, with a shy smile of her own. "But it's usually boys who tell me it's working."

"Well, not this time," said Yuri, smirking now. "It's...it's like you've got it down to an instinct, you know? The way your costumes always show off just enough skin...the way your hair _flows_ around you, even when it's short...the way your dimples light up when you smile..."

"Quit it," Athena mumbled, dimpling.

"There, you see?" Yuri giggled. "You're just _cute_ , Athena. When you're not even trying. That's what _you_ do." Then she paused, and looked down. "But...that's what I do, too."

Athena's giddy expression faded, becoming a look of concern.

"Well, it is, isn't it? I mean...I may not go for the shiny costumed look, but..." She shrugged. "I'm not sexy, so I'm cute. I'm not saying it never works - it works like a charm on Robby, and on other guys too. But it's nothing like what you can do," she finished, her weak smile a mixture of admiration and remorse.

Slowly, the pieces began to fall into place. Soon Athena's own smile had returned to her - but it was a small, private smile now, one she hid from her companion. In that moment, all the bitterness she'd felt over losing to Yuri faded away; it seemed such a petty, useless thing in the face of something like this. Instead she felt a warmth and a joy she hadn't known in quite some time...and she wanted her companion to feel it as well.

Without warning, Athena leaned forward and gave Yuri a peck on the cheek.

She stared at her, stunned, her expression blank. "What was that for...?" she managed to struggle out.

"Because you're so darn _cute_ ," Athena said with a grin.

* * *

King stalked toward the restroom door, Mai following her with a sigh. They had _almost_ made it outside...but then King whirled around.

"Okay, answer me this," she started. "What if she _does_ go looking for a guy?"

"...what if she does?" Mai asked, smirking.

"See, this's _exactly_ what I'm talking about," said King, crossing her arms. "It doesn't matter if we're both lucid if _one_ of us is insane."

" _What_ 'insane'⁇" Mai exclaimed. "She said it herself, she's a virgin! Would it _kill_ her to get a little action?"

"How would _you_ feel if your first time was a stupid mistake you made while you were wasted?"

"If I was already _college age_ , I'd be happy to have it over with!"

"Ugh, you are _so_ depraved‼"

"And _you're_ such a prude‼"

For a moment, they just stood there, glaring daggers at each other.

It was King who caved in, sighing. "Fine. Whatever. Let's just get out there, okay? If nothing else, whoever she found here would _not_ be the 'right guy'."

Mai smirked at her again. "So maybe she'll find the right _gal_...?"

"Don't be stupid," King muttered, rolling her eyes. "There is _no_ way that's happening."

* * *

"Don't say that," mumbled Yuri, with a shy, blushing smile.

"But it's true," giggled Athena, her own smile friendly and bright. "You're _totally_ cute, Yuri. At _least_ as cute as I am."

Yuri's eyes closed. "...no I'm not."

"Yes you are!" Athena insisted. She reached over and put her hands on Yuri's shoulders, startling her eyes back open. "You may not have the flashy costumes or the dimply smile, but you don't need them. It's your _spirit_ , Yuri. It's just _pouring_ out of you. I can see it every time you make a move in battle...every time you win, and do those big, cheery poses." Blushing again, she turned her eyes from her companion, her words fighting through her _own_ drunken haze for a moment.

"...every time you've laughed tonight," she went on quietly. "Every time you put on those wonderful grins. Every time you've clasped my hand, or put your arm around my shoulder." She stalled a moment, swallowing. "...every time you shake your head...and your bangs flutter over those big...beautiful eyes..."

She wasn't sure what was coming over her, exactly. She'd felt so touched by Yuri's words that she'd just had to return the favor; that's all it had been, at first. But the more she spoke, the more the feeling turned into something else. She felt almost the same way she had when Mai teased her about Kensou...only this time, 'Kensou' was right in front of her.

She could see the feeling coming over Yuri, as well. She had been glancing away from her, smiling slightly and blushing...but now she was staring right at her, looking positively flushed. Athena realized, as she felt the heat rising in her cheeks, that she probably looked that way too.

"You've got so much spirit, Yuri," she said, her voice almost a whisper now. "You are a wonderful woman. ...and you're very, _very_ cute."

It was Yuri who moved first...but Athena had time to see it. She saw her eyes close, saw her head moving toward her. She saw her lips draw together, still slightly parted. She saw all of these things, and yet she didn't back away; she knew she should stop her, _knew_ she was running out of time...

...but she didn't know if she wanted to.

* * *

King emerged from the restroom cautiously, still pissed but not wanting to draw attention. Mai followed more casually, not bothered in the least by King's words. They looked around for stray stares as they headed towards their friends, but didn't find any. They did hear a few people tittering, though - as if something happening _elsewhere_ in the bar was worth a look.

They found more and more distracted patrons as they went back to the booth. Soon they glanced at each other with raised eyebrows, wondering what all the fuss was about. It didn't occur to them until they were almost there that it might be at the booth itself.

And then they came in clear view of it, and they understood.

Athena and Yuri were locked in a passionate embrace. Their lips were pressed together firmly, mouths open, tongues working. Their hands were all over the place, pawing and groping, mussing their hair and wreaking havoc with their clothes. They were as close as they could be while still sitting in the booth, both their legs and their chests touching each other lightly. And through it all, their eyes were closed, which might explain how they were missing all the attention. ...then again, considering how _loud_ the attention was getting, maybe they just didn't care.

"That _loose_ enough for you, Mai⁇" King seethed, marching towards them as Mai stood frozen in shock (and tried to hold in her snickers).

King's mind worked furiously as she raced toward the scene, trying to figure out how to defuse it. She didn't have long to think about it - but she'd dealt with this kind of crap before. So by the time she reached them, she had her gambit ready.

"...and what do _you_ two think you're doing?"

The girls stopped, blinked. Yuri, already turned in King's direction, looked up at her blankly. "...huh?"

"You can't start the dare when we're not even here to see it!" King laughed, loudly enough for the nearby gawkers to hear. "What, did you think we would just _trust_ you?"

"Dare...?" Athena murmured, looking up now too as her and Yuri's arms dropped.

"Ha, ha, very funny," King said lightly - but with her face angled towards them, so only they could see her "play-along" stare. " _You_ made me bite into a whole jalapeño - and _she_ made me swallow it! You think I'm gonna miss the payback⁇"

"...ah heh. Yeah, I guess that _was_ kinda stupid," Athena chuckled, catching on (and trying _DESPERATELY_ to keep her face from flushing any further).

"Yep. In fact, you know what? You _spoiled_ it. I'll have to come up with something _else_ for you to do." King walked forward a bit and extended her hand. "Let's get you freshened up first, though, okay?"

"Okay," said Athena numbly, trying not to wobble as King raised her to her feet.

She led her back to the restrooms with her arm around her shoulder. As she whisked her away, a few more catcalls rained down...but most people seemed to have lost interest, suggesting the story had softened the blow. Once they reached a still shell-shocked Mai, King turned to her and murmured, "Tell the doorman to search for and confiscate cameras at the exit. Then go talk to Yuri. Got it⁇"

"Got it," Mai agreed, looking at her with newfound respect.

As Mai rushed off, Athena looked at King again. "'Talk to Yuri'? Uhhh...King? What's going on...?"

"It's a long story," King muttered. "...a long, _stupid_ story."

* * *

She was furious when she found out what happened (although, _because_ of what happened, she kept giggling about it too). Once she settled down, her savior offered to sneak her out the back, courtesy of a staff door next to the restrooms. But she was sober enough by then to want to solidify her cover story. She and her companion still had a dare to do - and so did, they decided, the one responsible for this.

And so it was that, after a quick snack and a _whole_ lot of water, Athena Asamiya and Yuri Sakazaki were seen dancing on a barroom table...and Mai Shiranui was seen driving them home topless.

Pictures of the two _did_ eventually slip out. But the "story" got out long beforehand, told by a blushing Athena at a few choice opportunities. The photos created a _bit_ of a stir, but thanks to King's quick thinking they faded away in a week. And eventually, after some tension and awkwardness, the four women even became friends again.

But that was the _only_ year all four of them were on separate teams.

* * *

End Notes

Looks like things went awry, huh? ;)

Athena/Yuri's always been a little secret ship of mine. I've been hoping someone would write a fic with them before me, but apparently I'm the only one in the world with this idea? Eventually you just have to take matters into your own hands. I plan to do that again more than once with this fandom (though not _all_ the fics will be about secret ships).

Next up for me, a brand new sidestory. Noooooo idea when it'll be finished. :P The absolute earliest I would post it is two weeks from now; if I finish it before then, I'll probably try to polish off another longfic first. That's roughly what I did for my last set of fics, and I would _love_ it if I could get myself back on the same schedule.

See you next time!

* * *

Epilogue

The next year, the Psycho Soldiers met the Womens' Team in the quarterfinals.

By then the incident was long forgotten, and no one batted an eye when Athena and Yuri met outside the ring. Athena was the team's anchor, waiting for Chin and Bao to fall; Yuri was the designated striker, waiting for Hinako to call her in. They cheered on their teammates together, ignoring Kensou's raised eyebrow and Mai's smirk. When Chin finished off Hinako, Athena clapped and Yuri groaned...and then they went back to normal, all smiles again.

Then, as Kasumi entered the ring, Yuri turned to Athena casually.

"So, Athena. How's Kensou's recovery going?"

"Not well, I'm afraid. He's getting _great_ at martial arts, but he hasn't gotten back his powers. ...how's King doing with the Kyokugen Team?"

"They're driving her crazy, haha. But she doesn't hate Big Bro yet, and they're still in the tourney, so it's good."

"That's good."

Silence.

"Hey, Athena...what do you think of Robert, anyway?"

"Huh? ...well he's a great guy, of course. And he's really talented, and he seems to love you a _lot_."

"Not to mention pretty cute, huh?"

"Hehe. He's a catch, alright."

"Actually, he thinks _you're_ kinda cute, too."

"What⁇"

"...well, not as cute as _me_ , of course."

"Th-thank goodness..."

Silence.

"Thanks again for forgiving us, Athena. Y'know, after the trouble last year."

"Of course! I wouldn't want to lose your friendship, Yuri."

"Yeah, same here. I hate to think what would've happened if King hadn't saved us..."

"Hehehe. You said it."

"...well. I mean. ...maybe not _hate_ , exactly."

"Huh⁇"

"Oh, I would hate to lose Robby over it, for sure. But, if he didn't _mind_...or maybe, if he was _there_...I don't know that I would actually hate... _it_."

Silence.

"You're not...suggesting what I think you are, are you?"

"...what if I was?"

Silence.

"Not gonna dignify that with a response, huh?"

"No, I'm not."

Silence.

"...yet."


End file.
